The Eleventh Commandment
by MickeyG
Summary: Rated for language, child abuse, and general angst. Could be PG, but just to be safe..... Explains the past of two of the BoM


A/N- None of these characters belong to me. I am making up the names of Tabby's dad and Lance's mom. The lyrics are from "The Eleventh Commandment" by Collin Raye. I don't own that either. This is my first songfic, so be nice in your reviews.  
  
  
  
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Ted Smith tossed and turned in his bed. His wife was away on another business trip, and he was becoming more and more restless. If he didn't get relief soon, he was afraid that he would go crazy. Finally he rose and went down the hall to his eight year old daughter's room. Watching her sleep always calmed him, but this time was different. He saw her in a very different light. Ted reached down and gently stroked her face. Tabby stirred in her sleep. "Daddy?" "Ssshhh, honey, don't say anything." Ted lay down on the bed, and began unfastening his pants.  
  
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She hears his heavy breathing in the dark  
  
His footsteps coming closer down the hall  
  
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Tabby Smith anxiously waited for her friend's mother's reply. "I'm sorry honey, but I don't think it would be a good idea for you to stay with Helen tonight. She has a lot of homework, and you've stayed two days this week. Maybe another time, okay?" The older woman never suspected the real reason eleven-year-old Tabby wanted to stay over. She was terrified to go home. Tabby bit back tears of shame. She never realized that she was not doing anything wrong. Her father said that she was just being a whore, and that it was all her fault.  
  
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She's so ashamed, she's daddy's secret love  
  
She wants to cry, she wants to die, but he can't get enough  
  
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Tabby kept glancing nervously over her shoulder, hoping that the guards weren't paying attention. She was sixteen now, and in fairly good control of her powers. She quickly formed a medium sized energy ball, and tossed it in the direction of the cash box. The box exploded, and in the confusion, she saw her father scooping bills into the large pockets of his trench coat. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she also knew how badly he would hurt her if she complained. It never occurred to her to use her powers on her dad, after all, he was still family. She had already made up her mind to leave though. She couldn't take it anymore. She had heard of a school in Bayville, one for mutants like her. She hoped that she would be safer there. She hoped he wouldn't be able to find her.  
  
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The bruises on his face will go away  
  
Mom keeps him home from school till they fade  
  
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Seventh grader Lance Alvers walked through the halls of the small middle school. The dark sunglasses he wore covered the bruises on his face, but he knew that the teacher would make him remove them when he arrived in class. Sure enough, the minute he walked into the classroom, "Mr. Alvers, will you be so kind as to remove those shades. I do not believe it is all that bright inside." Lance stuck out his tongue at her as soon as his back was turned. Here was one adult who couldn't push him around. Unfortunately, another student saw, and immediately told on him. Lance began cursing under his breath. He knew what would happen as soon as She found out.  
  
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She's sorry he was born and tells him so  
  
He takes it in, he hangs his chin, he ducks another blow  
  
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"You worthless piece of trash. What the hell were you thinking? You can't do that to a teacher. How stupid can you be? I should have killed you when I had the chance. But no, that damn father of yours insisted that we keep you around. Well, he's gone now, and I'm stuck with you. Why is that?" Lance knew better than to answer questions like that when his mother was drunk. But this time she wouldn't let it go. "Hey! Answer me. Why did I keep you, huh?" *smack* "I should have thrown you out with the trash. You should never have been born." Lance fought the tears, they only made her angrier. He watched in terror as she got out the chain she only used when she was really angry. She swung it viciously at his small body once, twice, three times before he finally passed out in pain. His last conscious thought was that he at least wouldn't have to go to school tomorrow. What he didn't know was that a neighbor had heard the screaming and that the police was on the way.  
  
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Did God overlook it  
  
What ought have been written  
  
The eleventh commandment  
  
Honor thy children  
  
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"Lance? Lance! Breakfast is ready and the bus will be here soon. Hurry up." Fifteen year old Lance rolled out of bed and staggered down the hall to the bathroom, only to find it already occupied by his thirteen year old foster sister. He began pounding on the door. "Kari! Get the **** out of the bathroom! You're not going to get any prettier, and I gotta pee. Hurry up." Kari opened the door, tears in her eyes. "Geez, Lance, you don't have to be so mean about it. Take the stupid bathroom." Lance stormed in and slammed the door. He was immediately overcome with guilt. He really didn't mean to be such a jerk, but sometimes the anger inside him took over. He made a mental note to apologize later. But a knocking on the door warned him that it was too late for apologies. He opened the door to see his foster parents standing on the other side, looking particularly stern. "Lance, we warned you that your next outburst would be the last one. We are sorry, but you are going to be transferred to a new home as soon as we can get a hold of your social worker." Lance felt himself begin to panic. "No, please. I'll be better, I swear. Please don't make me leave. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Please." He felt the tears start again, and bolted for his room. He flung himself across the bed, and muffled his tears in his pillow. This was the third foster home he had gotten thrown out of in the last two years. It was also just beginning to feel like a real family. He had finally started belonging, finally started to trust. And now his whole world was being blown apart once again.  
  
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Did God overlook it  
  
What ought have been written  
  
The eleventh commandment  
  
Honor thy children  
  
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Both of the adults standing in the driveway were holding back tears. They regretted what they had to do, but they knew they had no choice. They watched the dark Lincoln pull into the driveway, and a middle-aged woman in the business suit stepped out. "Is Lance ready to go?" "Yes, he's upstairs getting the rest of his bags." Just then the young teenager came out the front door, carrying two small suitcases. He loaded them in the trunk of the Lincoln, and began to climb into the car. Suddenly he ran up to the couple, and threw his arms around them in a brief hug. He then got into the car and they drove off, never looking back. But he would ever forget the family he had, even for such a short time.  
  
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Thou shalt not kill  
  
Thou shalt not steal  
  
Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain  
  
Thou shalt not cause thy children pain  
  
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Tabby tossed and turned in her large bedroom, which used to belong to Mystique. She had the most comfortable mattress in the whole Brotherhood house, but she just couldn't sleep. Every time she tried, she thought she heard the footsteps of her father coming down the hall for her. Finally she gave up, and went down to the kitchen for a drink of warm milk, in hopes it would help her go to sleep.  
  
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God does not overlook it  
  
What ought have been written  
  
The eleventh commandment  
  
Honor thy children  
  
Honor thy children  
  
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Lance woke in a cold sweat for the third night in a row. He would doze off, but the voice of his mother screaming at him and the whistle of a chain swinging through the air jerked him awake every time. He unconsciously rubbed the long scars which encircled his torso, and went downstairs to watch television. He badly needed to take his mind off of the nightmares. When he arrived in the living room, he noticed a light on in the kitchen. He went to investigate, and found Tabby digging through the refrigerator. She glanced up. "Didn't we have milk this morning?" "Yeah, but Blob drank it all. Can't sleep?" The blonde shook her head. "Me neither. I was just going to watch Titanic. I never could make it through that flick without drifting off. Want to join me?" "Sure, Rocky, why not?" The two popped in the tape, and sat next to each other on the worn sofa, trying to forget the past, and saying a grateful prayer for friends to get them through the long, sleepless nights. 


End file.
